Former Illinois sheriff sentenced to 2 life terms plus 10 years

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GALLATIN COUNTY, Ill. (KMOV.com) – A former Illinois sheriff was resentenced Friday stemming from a conviction for drug trafficking and a slew of other charges.

Former Gallatin County Sheriff Raymond M. Martin, 50, of Junction, Illinois was sentenced to two life terms in prison plus 10 years.

Martin was convicted in September, 2010, following an eight day jury trial, of all 15 counts alleged against him by a Federal Grand Jury stemming from his distribution of marijuana in office, carrying of a firearm during his drug trafficking offenses, and trying to have 2 witnesses against him in the drug case killed after he was arrested and was being held without bond in the Jackson County Jail.

Martin was originally sentenced in January, 2011, to two consecutive life terms plus 10 years. He appealed his conviction and sentence.

In August, 2012, the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed his convictions but vacated his sentence after it determined that an error in calculating his advisory sentencing range under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines had been committed. The appellate court remanded the case to the district court for resentencing. After properly calculating the advisory sentencing range and considering other statutory factors, the district court retained the discretion to reimpose the same sentences it had previously imposed.

Under federal law, there is no parole, meaning that Martin will not be released from custody.

In addition to the sentences of imprisonment, Martin was again ordered to forfeit his Junction, Illinois, residence (valued at over $200,000) and $76,090 in cash to the United States. He was also again ordered to pay the United States fines and special assessments totaling $51,500.

Investigation into the drug aspect of the case was led by the Carmi office of the Illinois State Police/Southern Illinois Drug Task Force and the United States Attorney’s Office with the assistance of the United States Drug Enforcement Administration, the Criminal Investigations Division of the Internal Revenue Service, the Mt. Vernon, Illinois, Police Department and the White County State’s Attorney’s Office.

Investigation into the witness tampering and financial structuring aspects of the case was led by the Jackson County Sheriff’s Department and the United States Attorney’s Office with the assistance of the Illinois State Police/Southern Illinois Drug Task Force, the IRS/CID, DEA, the Jackson County State’s Attorney’s Office and the White County State’s Attorney’s Office.

Investigation into Martin’s recent smuggling of prescription medication into the Williamson County Jail was conducted by the United States Marshals Service, the Illinois State Police and the Williamson County Sheriff’s Department.

The case was originally prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys James M. Cutchin and Michael C. Carr (who has since retired and is now the Jackson County State’s Attorney). AUSA Cutchin handled the resentencing.